Creating Together: FCS 2016 Annual Report

Working together to create something fresh is an energizing and engaging experience. When it comes to neighborhood revitalization, FCS President Jim Wehner says it this way: "A community in decline does not turn around in the blink of an eye. It takes a minute. It is a subtle shift that requires locking arms with our neighbors... We must create the change together."

community shows up for community grounds

Community Grounds Cafe has become the unofficial town square in Historic South Atlanta. It is the place where neighbors come to meet old friends and create new ones. It’s a place where the coffee is hot (or cold, if that’s your preference), the laughter is frequent, and trust is being built every day. Last month we asked our community for help to raise funds for a new espresso machine.

MISSION STATEMENT

Focused Community Strategies partners with under-resourced neighborhoods to provide innovative and holistic development that produces flourishing communities where God's Shalom is present.

christmas in july

Christmas is five months away. We know there are parents in our community who have already thought about the distant holiday and wondered how they will create a special memory for their kids. That’s one of the reasons we do Pride for Parents each year. We want our neighbors to experience the joy and generosity of the season that celebrates Christ’s birth. We don’t want them to feel inadequate or like someone else’s charity case.

the long road to fruit

We have a peach tree in our backyard. This time of year, it rewards us with juicy, delicious fruit. Our kids get to experience the joy of watching the trees produce and picking their homegrown snacks all on their own. For years, our backyard harvest has also been an opportunity to connect with friends and neighbors over sticky cobbler and vanilla ice cream.

This year, my kids and I cooked up cobbler, peach salsa, and peach ice cream to share with friends and eat way too much of ourselves! When others see our fruity haul, someone inevitably says, “I want to grow peaches in our backyard!”

harnessing wealth

for good

Pete Ochs knows absolutely nothing about hydro-electric power plants. Well, not until recently anyway. Pete grew up a country boy working hard on the family farm in Kansas. Hard work gave him a hearty appetite – but not just for food. Early on he developed a taste for business as well.

Stirring in his viscera was an entrepreneurial gene that made him restless with the status quo.